Mood: Tired
Gaming: Spirit Tracks, Nintendogs
Well folks, I regret to say that it will likely be a very long time before Eryl or Fawna’s Quest update. Most of you are well aware that I have been in very bad health for the past 2 years. I have been home from college on medical leave the whole time, mostly bedridden. Some days it’s so bad I can’t even open my eyes. Fortunately, it goes up and down. Right now it’s ‘up,’ so I’m able to work on the website a little and play some video games. I just recently came back from LA where there’s a specialist who can help my condition.
I’ve explained a few times what’s wrong, but for newer people or anyone who missed it, I’ll explain again. I have what’s called cisternal fistulas. That means there’s a tear somewhere in the membrane surrounding my spinal cord and brain, so I’m constantly leaking spinal fluid. This causes low-pressure headaches. Terrible, awful, and crippling migraines. These leaks happen spontaneously because my spine is covered in about a dozen or more small cysts that will occasionally burst, forming a tear. There is a specialist out in Beverly Hills, LA (the ONLY expert on this in the country) who can help me, but these measures are often temporary. So even though sometimes I’m almost headache free, they keep coming back as the cysts burst. Even when I’m doing well, this condition has a long recovery time, so I’ve never been completely well as the headaches return before I’ve really had a chance to recover much.
All this makes it very hard to draw and write a quality comic. I’m tired of getting complaints about how the comics are so awful, so I’m putting them on indefinite hiatus until my health stays good for at least 6 months. If I can go 6 months without the headaches coming back, then there’s only a 10% chance of them returning. So far my record is 4 months. But I want to wait until I can really see well enough again to do the detailed work that Eryl and FQ require.
Easily Amused has a chance of returning in a few weeks, but I’m not sure about it yet. If everything goes well, then in a few weeks I’d like to start up Epic Fail again. Since it’s a silly comic, the art doesn’t matter as much. Plus drawing silly things lifts my spirits in this difficult stage of my life. In the meantime, I’m going to make an effort to blog more. I have some inspirational stories I’d like to tell, along with game reviews and other stuff. So if you’re interesting in reading, you can subscribe to the RSS feed (see to your right and at the very bottom of the page).
The website remodeling is almost done. I just have to get the links and tutorials back up. It may take a few days.
Lee, I’m glad to hear that you made it back home okay! I was talking to Chrono yesterday and he said he loves what you’ve done with the site! It looks great! I’ll be sending you a full update on what’s happening over here soon, okay?
I miss the comics, true, and I hope that we can someday see the stories that you’ve started here, completed. — But that really doesn’t mean much when it comes to your health!
Take care of yourself, and know that good thoughts for your returned health are being thought! … (Did that make sense?)
Stop aplogizing for things you can’t help! If you were drunk, lazy or stoned, then, maybe, you could be blamed. Family and health trump all other considerations. If you want to entertain us and it’s fun to do so, then thanks bunches. If you need to take time or your health or family matters intervene, then blessing be on your journey.
Thank you all VERY much for your kind words and encouragement. It really means a lot.
My wife, Kate just had to have an MRI, in an attempt to determine what treatment might help her eye problems – she has pseudotumour cerebri; the neurologist says that if something isn’t done, she may be blind in ten years.
They’re probably going to try a lumbar puncture to lower the pressure of the spinal fluid.
She’s lucky enough that she can function well enough *now* (aside a few migraines time to time), but the long-term is scary.
Best wishes to you and hopes for a recovery.
Thank you, and the best wishes to your wife! I hope very much that they are able to help her!
Hey no worries, I was starting to wonder and figured you were building a buffer. Take your time, get well and I’ll keep checking in to see what’s new every week.
I can sympathize with your condition, even though I can’t totally understand, as I’ve slipped in and out of varying degrees of depression since I was a teen. I guess you can say that’s why I love quality webcomics ever since I discovered them.
Anyway, get well and I’m sure I speak for all of us when I say that I look forward to the continuation of your webcomic(s).